It came down to the wire. I’d planned a two-week vacation diving in the Philippines and received an email two days before the flight over there. A Client wanted to know if I was available to work in Beirut.
Turns out I was free to work, it meant cutting the vacation short, but hey, when you love the work, you’ll go anywhere, anytime.
In the days leading up to my flight to the Philippines I hadn’t had confirmation of the job, but if it did come through, I would have to fly out of Manilla. Not back via Australia.
Problem was, I had to know what to pack. Do I take my backpack, or my business suit. As well, I had a small problem of cancelling my flight back to Australia before I flew. Otherwise I wouldn’t get the refund. To further complicate this, I would need to prove an onward flight out of the Philippines.
I had the briefcase packed, but even up to midnight the night before flying out to the Philippines, I hadn’t heard whether or not the gig was on.
So there I was 30 minutes before the taxi arrived to go to the airport and still no word. 20 minutes, 10 minutes. Bang, the email came through. It was on.
In the taxi to the airport I had to call Qantas and get a refund on my miles and taxes; I wasn’t flying back to Australia, but I needed to finalise the Itinerary to prove onward travel, or I would be denied entry.
In between paying the taxi, checking in, going through security, and texting to meet up with my travel mate who flew up from Melbourne – I had to finalise the flights and times to get in before the job, and leave some time for visiting Egypt at the end. That amounted to about 8 emails back and forth for authorisation and payment.
On board, as we’re told to ‘please turn off all electronic devices’ I never got word on the final approval. If I arrived in Manilla without onward travel I would not be allowed entry.
They rarely ask for it, so I didn’t sweat too much. But, as luck would have it, I got asked.
I opened my phone, got WiFi, checked my emails, holding my breath.
I got the final approval. I was to fly Manila to Doha, then on to Beirut.
The immigration guy said ‘Next time, you print this out’
If only he knew ☺
